| The Prussian Machine - Generals |
August von Mackensen
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(6.12.1849 - 8.11.1945) place of birth: Kreis Wittenberg (Prussian Saxony) Generalfeldmarschall: 22 June 1915 One of the most successful field commanders of the war, this future field marshal was born on 6 December into the family of land agent Ludwig von Mackensen, said to be of Scottish ancestry, and his wife Marie Rink. Per his father's wishes, young August first studied agriculture in Halle, but then entered the military at age 19 as a one-year volunteer. He stayed on and served with distinction during the Franco-Prussian War of 1871 as part of the elite Death's Head Hussar regiment, fighting in major battles at Beaumont, Sedan and Orleans, and earning the Iron Cross 2nd Class. He thereafter continued his military career as a staff officer in cavalry units. His marriage in 1879 to Doris von Horn produced two daughters and three sons; Eberhard served in Italy during the Second World War as a divisional commander, and Hans served as Germany's ambassador to Rome during this time. As a young officer serving in Königsberg, Mackensen found an important mentor in the person of War Minister Verdy du Vernois. Although he never studied at the Military Academy, Mackensen was transferred in 1880 to the Great General Staff where he learned from the likes of von Moltke and von Schlieffen. In 1895 Kaiser Wilhelm II selected Mackensen as his aide-de-camp, the first commoner to serve in this position, and four years later the Kaiser named him to the Prussian aristocracy. In 1892 he published a significant, two volume history of his cavalry regiment entitled "The Black Hussars." His wife died in 1905, and 1908 saw both his promotion to general of cavalry and his marriage to his second wife, Leonie von der Osten. The First World War found him initially active on the Eastern Front as commander of XVII. Corps attached to the Eighth Army. He took part in every major conflict in the East and would remain on that front for the war's duration. His XVII. Corps suffered an initial humiliating defeat to the Russians (Rennenkampf) at Gumbinnen, but they later took part in great success at both Tannenberg and Masurian Lakes.
As commander of Army Detachment Mackensen and the
Ninth Army, he successfully directed the siege of Warsaw
and subsequent seizure of Lodz, for
which he was awarded the Pour le
Merite. His Eleventh Army, which as part
of the Army Group Mackensen-Kiev included Austro-Hungarian
units, was based in the Dunajec sector of Galicia (1915) and
successfully broke through the Russian lines at Gorlice-Tarnow, one
of the greatest victories of the war. In June 1915, von
Mackensen's troops were able to retake the Przemysl Fortress and
helped Austria recapture the city of Lemberg (L'viv, Ukraine). He
was then received the prestigious Order of the Black Eagle and
was promoted to field marshal. He was also one of only five
recipients of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (1917).
Following a successful stint in Serbia, he became commander of Army
Group Mackensen-Romania (1916-18) under Falkenhayn and headed
up the defeat and military occupation of Romania, where he remained
until war's end.
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